Answering 'what are the odds?' for everything from becoming rich to shark attacks

"You're more likely to die driving to work than to be eaten by a shark!" We're willing to bet you've heard this, like, a million times — right?

People throw out random statements like that all the time, preaching them as truth. And it got us wondering: How many of these statistical musings are actually true? And which statistic will actually surprise us?

So we did a little research to get the real lowdown on the odds — and we discovered some very interesting information.

Before we dive in, though, keep this in mind: A number of factors affect the real odds of something, especially your specific behavior. Someone who surfs everyday has a greater likelihood of being attacked by a shark than someone who never goes into the water, for instance.

1. Odds of being called to “Come on down!” on The Price Is Right — 1 in 36

One in 36? Not too shabby. Given the stats on becoming a billionaire or winning the lotto, which we cover later, this is pretty good news.

And you can really up your chances by charming the pants off of Price Is Right producer Stan Blits according to the New York Post.

2. Odds of being audited by the IRS — 1 in 160

This number seems high, but don't panic. This factors in all tax returns filed — including those filed by billionaires and huge corporations. But if you are earning a middle-class income, you don't have a whole lot to worry about.

11. Odds of getting killed by fireworks — 1 in 340,733

Odds by being killed by fireworks aren't super-high according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, but it does happen. And as you can imagine, most of those deaths occur on the Fourth of July.

12. Odds of being struck by lightning — 1 in 114,195

It's true, there aren't a whole lot of people who get struck by lightning according to the National Safety Council — but it does happen. Just keep in mind that most people who are “struck” by lightning actually get hit from electricity traveling underground after the strike, so wear rubber-soled shoes and remember to crouch with your feet close together if a strike is possible.

14. Odds falling to your death — 1 in 119

15. Odds of getting attacked by a shark — 1 in 3,748,067

Shark attacks get all kinds of media attention, but turns out they hardly ever happen according to the International Shark Attack File. You're actually much more likely to die as a result of coming into contact with hornets, wasps or bees (1 in 54,093) than even being bitten by a shark according to the National Safety Council.

16. Odds of winning $1 million in the McDonald’s Monopoly game — 1 in 451,822,158

Um, yeah, according to research done by Canadian structural engineer Michael Ross, you're gonna have to eat a whole lotta Mickey D's to win that money.